In the event swine flu reaches the area, De Los Santos said task force members have plans in place to collaborate with state health officials to dispense medications and manage other aspects of an outbreak.

However the most important thing at this point, he said, is that there are no confirmed cases in the state and people need to put the situation into perspective.

“It hasn’t reached that level yet of being alarmed… every year there’s over 36,000 deaths from the flu… it hasn’t reached pandemic proportions that are confirmed,” he said.

Not every cough, sore throat or stomach ache is flu, he said, explaining there are numerous other viruses and seasonal issues that cause symptoms in people.

Some of the symptoms that set swine flu apart from normal ailments are dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea combined with standard cold or flu symptoms. When that combination presents itself, go see a doctor, he said.